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There’s an array of different roleplaying games out there to choose from, especially since tabletop gaming is “in” right now. I will say, it is a good time to be a nerd! Because these games are getting in the spotlight more and more, we are starting to see diverse communities spring up around them.

So I pose this question to you: What is your favorite class in a roleplaying game?

I have played many different roleplaying games and different variations of them over the years from Advanced Dungeons and Dragons, Rifts, The Dresden Files Roleplaying Game, to Victoriana. Of all of these different games and systems, I have found that the Bloodrager class from Pathfinder’s Advanced Class Guide is by far my favorite.

Here are the reasons why the Bloodrager is so dear to me:

The Best of Both Worlds: The Bloodrager is an amalgamation of a Barbarian and a Sorcerer. This means your character can rage and sling some spells! Granted, you have to wait until 4th level to start the spell casting, but until then, you’re pretty much a standard barbarian!

The Class Grows in Depth: Since you are unlocking your bloodline abilities, you are unlocking powers with each level. How is this different to other classes that gain abilities as they level? Well, to me, this aspect is about development in roleplaying. My Bloodrager, Malek, was banished from his village when he cast a spell while trying to defend his younger sister. Because arcana was banned in his tribe, he was exiled.

An Array of Play Options: I chose the archetype ‘Spelleater’ for my Bloodrager which allowed me to turn spells into healing and Damage Reduction into Fast Healing while raging. Since I built Malek to be a tank, this suited him rather well. A lot of Bloodrager spells, to me, end up very situational, so having the option to “eat them” to regain hit points was very appealing to me. There are other options available through the different archetypes, but healing 1 HP a turn through 30+ rounds of rage was too good for me to pass up.

“Human Male Bloodrager”; artist unknown

Because Malek was exiled from a young age, he grew up mostly in the wilds due to his temper, which he eventually got under his control. However, he discovered that when he was injured or an enemy’s blood came into contact with him, he would enter his rage, killing all enemies that he could.

Malek would never prematurely end his bloodrage which worked well with his spelleater archetype that would allow him to regain lost hp after each round of combat. However, this also meant that when the battle was over if Malek still had rounds of rage left, he was left in a raging stupor, meaning he would often seek out other enemies to kill. There was one encounter with a group of bandits where Malek, against the desires of his traveling companions, killed all of the bandit’s mounts once their owners had departed.

Another interesting think about Malek was his inability to lie or detect sarcasm, which would sometimes lead to him upsetting NPCs or his party. Often times, Malek was left outside when the party was trying to negotiate in closed quarters.

Tales of a hulking barbarian covered in blood began traveling through the lands. There were even times when the party would encounter bandit headhunters who were sent to “handle the problem” only to end up another notch in Malek’s aged greatsword. Occasionally his reputation would precede him. I found myself not having to roll intimidation at times because people were afraid of the tales they have been hearing.

Despite his temper and reputation to be a cold blooded killer, Malek, when not in bloodrage, was a kind person who wanted to make sure everyone was safe in the territories. The tragedy of his past had molded him into an unconventional protector of the realm.

If you’re playing Pathfinder and you are looking for an interesting idea for a new character, I highly recommend you check out the Advanced Class Guide. Although some people have given it some bad reviews, I find the information contained within its pages to be highly valuable as they go outside the box with their content.

I’ve found that when people are searching for a character class, they find it somewhat difficult to “break the mold” of the standard core races because of the “been there, done that” mentality. With the Advanced Class Guide, however, it’s relatively easy to generate a concept by simply scrolling through its pages and looking over the new class alternatives it has to offer.